Despite a fourth-quarter comeback, Big Rapids fell to Traverse City St. Francis on Tuesday night 53-49.

Both teams got off to a sluggish start offensively, missing many shots in the first quarter to leave a 9-9 scoreline. Big Rapids used the transition game to score a few quick buckets offensively to start the second quarter, but they would lose their narrow lead and trail 20-18 at halftime following a couple late triples from the Gladiators.

The third quarter was all St. Francis. Their pesty defense forced many Big Rapids turnovers and their offense moved the ball around the Cardinal zone to score some easy looks. Big Rapids' threes weren't falling on offense either, as they would be outscored 16-5 in the third period. While the Gladiator lead would grow to 19 almost halfway through the fourth, Big Rapids would spark to life after a Moten steal and Gielczyk and-one conversion. From there, the Cardinals used defensive pressure to make a massive 12-2 run to cut the lead to single digits. Big Rapids would chip away to the lead late, but three-point misses and Gladiator free throws would put the game way 53-49.

Big Rapids suffers their fourth loss of the season and third loss on the road this year. The 10-4 Cardinals return to action on Friday as they travel to Tri County to face the 3-11 Vikings in conference play. Catch all the game coverage, starting at 6:30 P.M., on WBRN via 1460 AM, 96.5 FM, WBRN.com, and the WBRN mobile app.